


And some stories you don't tell

by Kyra



Category: How I Met Your Mother
Genre: Backstory, F/M, Sitcom Fic, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-01-01
Updated: 2010-01-01
Packaged: 2017-10-05 13:56:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/42459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kyra/pseuds/Kyra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Here's the story Ted's never told:</p>
            </blockquote>





	And some stories you don't tell

  
"Hey, Ted!" says Lily brightly. "How do I look?"

**

Ted likes to think he's acquired some wisdom over the years. He knows, for instance, about many categories of Things That Suck. Realizing you're out of shampoo when you're already in the shower. (Solution: use some of Lily's, even though it will make him self-conscious all day about smelling flowery.) Getting spit on in the subway. (Solution: get Barney to convince him living in New York long enough renders you impervious to all germs.) Being in love with your best friend's fiancee, who's also kind of your best friend. (Solution: Well...)

**

Ted knows a lot of things about Lily. How when she was a kid, she used to wet her toothbrush in the sink, so her mom would _think_ she'd brushed her teeth even when she hadn't. That there are a lot of things she can pass up, Ted, but a half-off shoe sale is not one of them, so hold her purse, she'll be back in ten minutes. Fifteen, tops. That her favorite ice cream flavor is strawberry. How she sounds during sex.

The last is from four years of college on the top bunk, and six more years across the apartment. Discreet Lily and Marshall are not. "God, how can you stand it?" Robin asked when she first started staying over, and it took Ted a minute to realize what she was talking about. ("Oh, _Marshmallow_!" Lily said.) "I... guess I don't hear it anymore," he said, which wasn't entirely accurate. It's more that he hears it and doesn't think about it. It's just normal.

**

"Hey," says Lily, way later, when Marshall has passed out after too much egg nog (non-alcoholic). All the real lights are off, but the room is still glowing all red and green and white from the billion Christmas lights strung everywhere. "I really am sorry. About leaving. And not saying goodbye. And not saying I was sorry when I came back."

She's on the couch, with Marshall's head in her lap, and Ted's on the floor leaning back against the couch. Her leg is warm against Ted's shoulder, and he tilts his head back to rest on the couch cushion, until he can see her face upside down.

"I thought we were sick of apologies," he says.

"Well, officially, yes," Lily says. "But, you know. Are we good?"

"I don't know," Ted says. "If I say no will you tell Marshall Santa ate all the gingerbread cookies so there are none for him?"

Lily laughs, and pokes his hip with her sock foot, and Ted grins and looks back at the muted tv, where the dentist elf is learning a valuable lesson about belonging.

**

Ted's been living with Lily since they were 18 years old. It's something to think about. Something else to think about: it's always been Ted-and-Marshall-and-Lily. Then he came home one day and Lily had a ring on her finger and suddenly it was more like Marshall-and-Lily and Ted-the-sad-hanger-on.

"Well, yeah," said Barney, when Ted accidentally confessed his revelation after a few too many drinks.

"Shut up, Barney," Ted said.

It's not like he ever thought Marshall and Lily would break up -- but, technically, they still _could_. Stranger things have happened. Ted could be patient, right? Patient like a... fox? Which was a horrible thought and he made himself unhave it as soon as it occurred to him. But anyway, engaged meant there was no more chance. They really weren't going to break up, not ever.

... and then they _did_ break up, and there was no more Lily at all. Stupid Lily, Ted agreed, every time Marshall said so. Stupid Lily, running away to San Francisco.

Ted's been to San Francisco. His firm has a branch out there. Oh, hey, Lily, how's it going, how crazy to run into you. You're still living out here? Yeah, just got transferred. Don't really know anyone in the city. Marshall's okay, he's good, he's good. (Note-to-self: For guilt-alleviating purposes, equip daydream with hot-ass replacement girlfriend for Marshall.) Hey, do you want to get a drink? Yeah, I do like your art. No, that silly plan to get married isn't going so well -- what about you? Wanna get brunch, a movie, that board game we loved sophomore year?

Stupid.

**

Here's the story Ted's never told:

"Hey, man, go see if anyone on the hall has batteries for my sweet blacklight," he said. He could go himself, but he's busy trying to arrange the books he just unpacked in just the right way so he seems smart-but-sexy, just in case any girls come by, and also he wants to see if his new roommate will do what he says. Maybe College Ted is the take-charge type.

"Okay," says his new roommate, who's from one of those cheese states out west with the funny accents.

He's gone for two hours, and when he comes back, he has no batteries and one girl with black hair behind him.

"Hey, Ted, this is Lily," Marshall says, and Ted gives her his practiced head jerk hello of laid-back coolness. "She's going to come with us to try to find the cafeteria."

"I heard if you're a freshman and you ask anyone directions they tell you how to get to the dumpster behind the science building," Lily offers.

By the end of their very first college cafeteria dinner, Lily's already laid out her reasons for Why _My So-Called Life_ Is The Best TV Show Of All Time, and six of the seven are Ted's own reasons (not that he'd ever admit it out loud.... at least not without having a beer. Maybe half a beer.), and Marshall's looking at Lily like he's never seen a human being before.

"Hey guys," Ted says, because he's not sure he even likes this Marshall guy yet, but even he knows the rule about cockblocking. "I think I'm going to go check out the new stomping grounds before bed. I mean, before it's time to par-tay."

"Okay," says Lily. "Bye, Ted!"

"Bye, Ted," says Marshall, without looking up at him.

Ted shoves his hands in his pockets and tries to remember how to get back to anywhere he recognizes.

It's okay. It's _college_. There'll be other girls. He probably won't even remember Lily in a week.

**

He knew Marshall first and Marshall knew Lily first and that's just how it is. There's no use at all wondering what would have happened if he'd gone wandering down the hall instead.

**

"Hello?" Lily says. "Earth to Ted." Her hair is done up all fancy and her dress is white and a million miles long and she's beaming.

"You look perfect," he says, and kisses her on the forehead.


End file.
